NBL23 Heartland Award Winners

South East Melbourne Phoenix is proud to announce for the first-time in club history, two recipients of The Heartland Award - Volunteer of the Year.

Congratulations to Ai-Dan Huynh and Kalani O’Connor.

The Coverforce Heartland Crew is made up of over 70 dedicated volunteers who give up their time each week to help get Phoenix home games off the ground. The volunteers work across all departments of the club and without them our game day experience wouldn’t be possible. 

(After being nominated for the past three seasons, Ai-Dan was named joint winner for The Heartland Award for NBL23.)

Each season, The Heartland Award - Volunteer of the Year and nominee awards, recognise individuals within the Coverforce Heartland Crew that fulfill their match-day role with enthusiasm, passion, and champion the community spirit of the Phoenix.

Ai-Dan and Kalani were selected from a strong pool of nominees who also committed their time to excel above and beyond their expected voluntary role. The club recognises and congratulates Jye Stapleton, Riley Stapleton, Blaire Duthie, Dom Drouin, Christine Sayers and Siddharth Yellepeddi for their contributions during the NBL23 season.

Both Kalani and Ai-Dan have been regular contributors to the Coverforce Heartland Crew since the club’s inaugural NBL20 season, with Ai-Dan reaching the 50-game milestone in NBL23 and Kalani looking to follow suit in NBL24.

(Being at the club since their first season, Kalani was named joint winner for his hardwork as a volunteer.)

In an extended off-season leading into NBL24, both Ai-Dan and Kalani have urged all individuals to get involved with the Coverforce Heartland Crew, especially those looking to join a tight-knit community and gain invaluable industry skills.

"Volunteering for the Heartland Crew it's not just a name, you genuinely feel the heart and soul from everyone,” commented Ai-Dan.

“From the players to the front office, to the volunteers, we are a family joined together to make a good show for the fans.”

“I’ve loved seeing the Club and game-days grow over the past 4 seasons, I’ve made some great friendships over the time and love seeing some of the club’s best moments live,” commented Kalani.

The behind-the-scenes efforts from the Coverforce Heartland Crew is truly the backbone of match-day, the Club extends its thank you to all individuals that dedicated their time in NBL23.

At your next journey to The Fire Pit, don’t forget to say hello to the Crew.

If you are wanting to join the passionate Heartland Crew at the Phoenix for NBL24, CLICK HERE to register. 

Phoenix Media (31/03/23)